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Can a apple airport express be part of a audiophile system?

Hi, I am curious as to who uses the airport express in their system and how the experience compares to a cd player or high end music server. What I like about the airport express is the price and ease of use with itunes. I am worried however about the audio quality since I have read about people experiencing delays, dropouts, and the newest model having unacceptable jitter. I have also looked at the Sony Hap S1 and Aurelic Aries Mini as high end options but the price and usability scares me off. Thoughts?
brimel1974
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,475 posts
 
Reclocker (or reclocking DAC) is always a good thing.  The other option is to use async USB, that should do the same.  Jitter is not inherent problem of AE - it is inherent problem of all devices.  I wouldn't call 258ps jitter a problem (a lot of CDPs have similar). Reclocker you can buy later.  It runs around $400. but perhaps you could get used one for about half.  I would look for one that has coax output to connect it to DAC with very short (about 6") 75ohm cable.

It is also possible that you will not like the sound that is free of jitter. My DAC was called, sterile, analytical etc.  Jitter is adding noise to music.  This noise is proportional to signal level thus undetectable without it.  You can only hear it as lack of clarity, harshness, worse imaging etc.  At the same time added noise can make music sound more euphonic and dynamic.  

There are other better choices than AE but they cost more than mentioned reclocker (that can do better job overall).
Look at reclockers at Empirical Audio and Wyred 4 Sound ("Remedy Reclocker").  

http://www.empiricalaudio.com/products/synchro-mesh
https://wyred4sound.com/products/digital-converters/remedy-reclocker
brimel1974's avatar
brimel1974 OP
35 posts
 
Thanks. Why did you personally choose to go with the AE over some of the other digital solutions?
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,475 posts
 
- It was less expensive
- It worked with Itunes
- My DAC is jitter supressing (reclocking)
- All my files are 16/44.1
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

I have a LOT of experience with the AE. I even gutted it and created my own product from it, using reclocking and a lower jitter clock. I ultimately abandoned the product because the SQ just wasn’t there and I didn’t want my company name on such a product. I think it has something to do with the CODEC used on the board to decode ALAC, which is what is transmitted to the AE. Nothing you can do to fix that, even with a reclocker. Reclocker did improve things, but still had SQ issues due to the on-board CODEC.

You can do a LOT better by using a Sonos Connect and reclocking with a good reclocker like the Synchro-Mesh.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,475 posts
 
Steve, I’m not sure why Stereophile opinion, that AE sounds good even without reclocker, and the measurements provided are so different from your experience. Since AE is bit perfect, as Stereophile tested, the only thing that would make any difference is jitter that was also measured. I’m also puzzled with the statement that reclocker cannot fix it since my reclocking DAC doesn’t show any signs of jitter with AE. It doesn’t take a lot supression to clean 258ps of jitter beyond audible levels. Jitter suppression of Benchmark DAC1 was also praised by many independent reviewers, including Stereophile to be excellent. You stated once that rejection of DAC1 was poor. It is in direct contradiction with all the reviews I’ve read - and it was a lot of them. Perhaps all of them were wrong? Sound is as clean as it gets (possibly too clean) while imaging is wonderful. Perhaps you had defective AE (or source)?
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